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BOB ELLIOTT, QMI Agency

Apr 3, 2012

, Last Updated: 9:26 PM ET

Any dream of a ‘Canadians on the Corners’ marketing slogan for 2013 was just that.

Thoughts of a Joey-Brett or Brett-Joey combo to protect Joey Bats?

Never mind.

While the Blue Jays may have secretly longed to trade for the Cincinnati Reds first baseman this July ... or this off-season ... or next July ... or when he reached free agency ... Joey Votto is staying put.

The Reds and Votto’s agent Dan Lozano have concluded the framework on a 10-year, $225 million US extension, with a full no-trade clause, according to MLBTradeRumors and USA Today.

It will keep Votto, 28, in a Reds uniform until 2023. He has two years remaining on the three-year, $38 million deal signed a year ago. He’ll make $9.5 million this season and $17 million in ‘13.

So, the Jays won’t have Brett Lawrie of Langley, B.C., at third and Votto at first to look after Jose Bautista.

Only the contracts of New York Yankees’ Alex Rodriguez (10 years, $275 million in 2007), Albert Pujols (10 years, $254 million) of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim and Prince Fielder (nine years, $214 million) with the Detroit Tigers are larger.

All but Rodriguez were signed this year.

Think that Blue Jays policy on 10-year deals will be addressed down the road now?

Ten years.

$225 million.

For Etobicoke’s favourite son, who grew up playing for Steve Plumley’s Bloordale Bombers, Bob Smythe’s Etobicoke Rangers at Connorvale Park and Mel Oswald’s Canadian Thunderbirds, it’s a Canadian record — far surpassing Justin Morneau of New Westminster, B.C., and his six-year, $80 million deal with the Minnesota Twins.

So, are you signing Little Johnny up for the summer hockey camp or taking him to a baseball hitting school?

Wendy Votto, Joey’s mother, laughed when asked how much Joey’s registration cost when initially signed up to play ball.

“Maybe $300, I’m not sure,” said Wendy, who enrolled 12-year-olds Ryan and Paul for house league ball in Brampton for this summer at $150 apiece, plus the cost of tournaments.

Mother and son had a two-hour conversation Sunday night.

“I haven’t heard anything since, but I’ve been in meetings,” said Wendy Tuesday evening. “I’ve had a couple of texts from him.”

Wendy is busy and plans on being busy no matter how much her son earns.

“What am I going to do? Stay at home and stare at four walls?” said Wendy who used to work 55 hours a week as a sommelier at Etobiocke’s Via Allegro Ristorante for 16 year.

Wendy has cut back now, only working weekends at the restaurant.

Like Monday.

Wendy, also a sommelier and sales rep for Fettah Wine Services, was at the Royal York Hotel, early.

“We had a California wine show, then a wine tasting, we had dinner at the Epic restaurant, I didn’t get back home until midnight,” said Wendy, who also had cell phone problems Monday.

The Reds open the season Thursday afternoon hosting the Miami Marlins.

Votto’s aunt Brenda and Doug, plus uncle Paul will be in the crowd, but Wendy won’t.

“We have a pour and taste at the Rousseau House in Ancaster, a fund raiser which I committed to,” Wendy said. “Perhaps next week.”

An international sommelier guild has asked Wendy to teach a course once a week in the United States, but they have not settled on where.

“In their offer they said they’d fly me down in the morning and home at night, or I could spend the night and fly home the next day,” Wendy said. “I joked, saying I’d like a National League city.”

Didn’t momma secretly hope, like many Jays fans, her son would return home to play, as he stole the show at the 2009 World Baseball Classic.

“I was worried about people here coming out of the woodwork,” Wendy said. “I know he’d get a lot of press here, but I don’t think he’d have any peace.

“Cincinnati is a good fit. He can find a beautiful house an hour outside of Cincinnati. It’s a blue collar town I really like.”

Reds scout John Castleberry chose Votto 44th overall in North America in 2002.

“He’s been away since he was 17,” Wendy said, continuing the way only proud mothers can, “what a terrific and level-headed young man he’s grown up to be.”

Moving along, we thought we’d asked the expert (and didn’t tell her we haven’t had vino since 1985 at the Chateau Laurier) what is this summer’s special wine.

Meanwhile, “VottOs,” cereal, at $2.99 per box hit the shelves at Cincinnati-area Kroger stores as well as plbsports.com and having seen the lineups to buy his No. 19 jersey at the Reds Hall of Fame and Museum in 2010, there will be lineups for cereal.

As there will be standing ovations for Reds owner Robert Castellini, of the small-market Reds.